


you can wrap your fingers round my thumb

by timefornothing



Series: a small bump in the road [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff and stuff, M/M, but he has a kid so, harry gets baby fever again, larry is mostly a side thing sorry, liam falls in love, liam's a dad, lou is a giant help bless her, louis gets annoyed but incredibly fond, maybe an au? not sure, niall loves him, perrie's great, who would have guessed, zayn is great too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-17 18:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1398823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timefornothing/pseuds/timefornothing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry, sensing the seriousness, pushed Louis' feet off of his lap and leaned forward, concern etched clearly on his face. "Liam, what's wrong?"</p><p>With one last calming breath, Liam took his hands away and looked to the three boys across from him that he considered brothers. He really wished Zayn were here now as well, but he'd have to tell him later, after Perrie and her cousin were somewhere else. "Apparently, I'm a father."</p><p>The boys were silent for a minute, then Louis let out a bark of laughter. "Good one, Li. Nice. April Fool's Day is tomorrow, though. But nice try. Daddy Directioner wouldn't have a kid out of wedlock."</p><p>Liam closed his eyes, then focused on Louis' disbelieving--yet still wary--smile. "No, Louis, it's true. Simon called and they ran a DNA test and everything. There's a little boy named Taylor waiting for me to pick him up from the London Orphanage on Wednesday morning."</p><p>Again, everyone was silent. Finally, Louis' mouth dropped open, eyes wide as he realized Liam wasn't kidding. "Holy shit." He breathed, hands dropping loosely in his lap. "Liam Payne is a father. Holy shit."</p><p> </p><p>or the one where liam finds out he has a three year old son. chaos ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you can wrap your fingers round my thumb

**Author's Note:**

> don't ask me where i got the idea to write this but you know
> 
> i think it's cute
> 
> title is taken from ed sheeran's "small bump"
> 
> disclaimers and yada yada yada
> 
> (side larry YAY)

"Thank you, and goodnight Berlin! Thank you so much for the best end to a tour ever!" He hears Louis shout off to his right, and then he and the four other boys are sprinting offstage, gratefully grabbing the towels and water bottles handed to them by various people. 

It's been four years now, and Liam is still in love with the rush. People are herding them, shouting, but he's still on his performance high. He showers in a daze, poking fun and shouting with the other boys, and then they're being guided once again as they're quickly pulling shirts on, heading out to the bus waiting at the back of the venue. German fans are screaming his name, and he waves at them before Paul practically shoves them on the bus, and he has to physically pull Harry away from the crowd. He collapses onto the couch at the front, waving Zayn off who excuses himself to the back of the bus because Perrie's back there with her cousin that Zayn just _has_ to meet because they'd just get on _so well_ , and grunts when Louis flops down straight on his stomach.

"Lou, go sit on your boyfriend for pete's sake." He groaned, shoving the older boy off of him, who only laughed in response and threw himself onto Harry's lap. Harry smiled down affectionately at Louis before Paul whacked him across the back of the head, ordering fondly, "Oi, no cuddling. We got a visitor in the back." Louis stuck his tongue out but abided, moving instead to sit in between Harry and Niall.

"Lads, I know I say this every time," Niall paused to shake some of the water off of his hair, "But that was the best show yet." Everyone laughed, teasing him, but suddenly Liam's attention was diverted as he saw Paul answering a phone call with a worried expression. The large man made eye contact with Liam, but quickly turned away, closing the door between the front of the bus and the lounge.

"What was that about?" Harry muttered, and Liam shrugged. 

"Dunno. Maybe it had something to do with Perrie's cousin." He looked in the direction of the back of the bus, "Have any of you met her before?"

Louis and Harry shook their heads, and Niall furrowed his brow, "I think I did, once. A few years ago, but she was nice. It was right when they started seeing each other again, after their first break up. She's funny, from what I remember."

"Well, if she's related to Perrie, I have no doubt that she's got an interesting personality." Louis snorted, propping his feet up on the table. 

"Payne, come here." Paul's voice carried over to them, low and angry. Confused, Liam stood, hearing Louis whisper to the other boys, "Liam never gets in trouble! What'd he do this time?" With a frown and a flipping of the bird in their general direction, Liam turned and walked over to Paul, who closed the door behind them so it was only them and the bus driver.

"What's up?" He asked, concerned.

Paul sighed heavily, rubbing at his forehead. "Phone call for you. Maybe it makes a bit more sense to you than me." With that vague statement, he handed his phone over, and Liam took it warily.

"Hello?"

"Hi, yes, Liam Payne?"

"This is he."

"Hello Mr. Payne!" Chirped the voice on the other end of the line. "I'm so sorry to be calling at such a late hour, but my name is Jenna Karrin, President of the Orphanages Centers and Programs in London."

"Uh, hello, Ms. Karrin." Liam responded, completely bewildered. Paul was still staring at the ground with a tired expression.

"Call me Jenna, please."

"Well, what can I do for you, Jenna?"

"It seems we have a situation down here that has caused a bit of an uproar." He heard her sigh, not unlike Paul's. "We received a child today that we believe to be your son."

 

Liam froze, brows knitted together, unsure if he had heard right. "I'm sorry?"

"It's true. A young woman passed away today from a severe automobile accident, and when police went to her house they found the child upstairs. Apparently, the boy has no living relatives, and you're listed as the father on his birth certificate."

Liam's eyes widened, and he looked up to Paul, who only shook his head. "How can you be certain it's mine? As far as I'm aware, I don't have a child. Can't you do a DNA test or something?"

"We already did. We contacted Mr. Cowell as soon as we heard, and he authorized us." Liam was about to ask how Simon could do that, how he even had his DNA, but stopped himself. It was Simon _fucking Cowell_ , the man could do everything. But the woman was still speaking, "The results came back today and shows that the child is in fact yours. We'll need you to come pick him up within the next two days, and if you still don't want him, you may file for adoption. I'll warn you though, it takes a few weeks for it to be approved." 

Liam's mind was reeling. Who was the mother? He had only had sex with a handful of girls before he had left for the X Factor, so it's not like it was an extensive list. And how on earth could he have a kid? What was the media going to say? What was his _mother_ going to say?

"Uh, yeah, of course. I should be in London by tomorrow night, I'll come by that next morning, on Tuesday. Does that work?"

"Of course!" She responded brightly. "We'll have Taylor and his things all ready for you! See you then, Mr. Payne!" The line disconnected, and Liam slowly looked to the screen, still in the daze. Just minutes ago, he had been a carefree twenty year old, part of the biggest band in the world and nothing could stop him. And suddenly he was a father?

"And it's really mine?" Liam wheezed, looking up to Paul. Paul shrugged, once more sliding a hand down his face. "That's what the DNA test says. I assume Simon's gonna want to talk to you. And your mum."

"Yeah, yeah." Liam nodded, swallowing thickly. Quickly pulling up Simon's contact, he dialed him, closing his eyes and getting ready for a lengthy lecture.

"Paul? Do you have Liam with you?" Simon answered, voice already making Liam wince.

"This is Liam." He said quietly, preparing himself for the attack.

"Ah, nice to speak to the father of this mysterious child. I do wonder, how come I never heard of this?"

"Because I didn't know." Liam said truthfully, the shock settling on him like a dead weight. "I had no idea I had a kid, Simon, I swear."

"Any idea who the mother is?"

"Well, it's not someone I dated seriously, because the woman said the mother had died, and my mum or sisters would have called if it was someone they knew." Liam spoke slowly, it slowly dawning on him as he realized. "It must have been Carly. I--we had a short fling, the summer before I was on the show the second time around. I could have been only sixteen at the time. Then she disappeared when I went back to tryout, and we never spoke again. I guess I see why, now. She never met my parents or friends." 

Carly Bayer. Three years older than him, sparkling blue eyes, and a deep confidence in her voice when she had assured him that he would be a star someday. Of course, being sixteen, Liam fell for it, head over heels, and he followed her around those four short weeks like a lovesick puppy. She hadn't been the one to take his virginity, no, but she was the one who took his innocence. It sounded stupidly sappy in his head, but it was true. He did it whenever she asked, too afraid and in love to ever say no. Couldn't she get pregnant? "No, I'm on the pill." She had told him, and so he never questioned it. He was sixteen. Who would have guessed? Not him. He thought they'd be together forever, that she'd come walking down the aisle towards him someday. Yet, when he told her he was trying out again, she made love to him one last time and was gone the next day, and no one knew where she went. She was gone, out of his life just as quickly as she had appeared. And Liam was devastated. He had gone four years thinking she had just lost interest, and now she was dead? And he had a son?

Simon sighed heavily, and Liam could almost picture the look on his face. "You realize as soon as the media gets ahold of this, there will be a giant shitstorm headed your way that even I can't stop." 

Liam nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I realize. The woman did say I could give him up for adoption, though."

He heard Simon readjust himself in his seat. "Well, that is an option. Although I advise against it, seeing as I believe firmly in owning up to your mistakes. But, if it is what you want, then do what you must."

Liam squirmed under Paul's gaze, "I have a few weeks to decide, anyways. Apparently the process takes a while."

"Yes, yes it does." Simon agreed, then sighed once more. "Well, regardless, we need to deal with this upfront. You know the rules for going in public. Take Paul home with you, have him and a couple other boys go with you when you pick the kid up, utmost secrecy and whatnot. Have Lou Teasdale pick up whatever supplies you need, as it won't be so suspicious if she does it. And under no circumstances are you allowed to comment on this until we have reached a decision, are we clear?"

Liam agreed, and Simon hung up quickly after, knowing Liam was the least likely of the boys to disobey instructions. With a sigh, he called his mom, informing her of the situation. First she cried, then she yelled, then cried again, saying she was so excited to have a grandson, but Liam was getting a thorough talking to when he saw her, and she was coming over Wednesday afternoon to do just that. He asked her not to tell Ruth or Nicola until then, and she agreed after a few more minutes of yelling. Paul gave him a sympathetic look when he hung up, and asked when Liam handed his phone back, "Are you gonna tell the boys?"

"I always do, don't I?" He shrugged, looking at the floor. He was never one to keep his problems from the boys. He always felt he could go to them, and did so often, asking advice on sometimes even the simplest things. Hell, he had asked Niall and Zayn which snapback he should wear onstage tonight. No way was he going to keep this from them. With Paul giving him a reassuring pat on the back, he went back out into the lounge, sitting heavily on the chair opposite his boys with his face in his hands.

"Jesus, Li, what'd you do?" Niall snorted, "You look a wreck."

"I really fucked up, Niall." He moaned, scratching at his hair. How had his life turned this upside down so quickly?

Harry, sensing the seriousness, pushed Louis' feet off of his lap and leaned forward, concern etched clearly on his face. "Liam, what's wrong?"

With one last calming breath, Liam took his hands away and looked to the three boys across from him that he considered brothers. He really wished Zayn were here now as well, but he'd have to tell him later, after Perrie and her cousin were somewhere else. "Apparently, I'm a father."

The boys were silent for a minute, then Louis let out a bark of laughter. "Good one, Li. Nice. April Fool's Day is tomorrow, though. But nice try. Daddy Directioner wouldn't have a kid out of wedlock."

Liam closed his eyes, then focused on Louis' disbelieving--yet still wary--smile. "No, Louis, it's true. Simon called and they ran a DNA test and everything. There's a little boy named Taylor waiting for me to pick him up from the London Orphanage on Wednesday morning."

Again, everyone was silent. Finally, Louis' mouth dropped open, eyes wide as he realized Liam wasn't kidding. "Holy shit." He breathed, hands dropping loosely in his lap. "Liam Payne is a father. Holy shit." Liam only nodded, still coming to terms with it himself. He was a father. _He was a father._

"Huh. Taylor's the name you wanted for your first kid, wasn't it?" Harry asked, settling back on the couch with a strange look on his face. Liam nodded, and Harry mirrored the motion, humming in response.

"Who all knows?" Niall asked, and Liam picked at his fingernails.

"Not many people, and I'd appreciate it if you all didn't tell anyone." When they nodded, he continued his answer, "My mum, and Simon, and Paul. You boys. I'm gonna tell Zayn when I get the chance."

"Now seems to be a pretty good time to explain."

Everyone turned sharply, looking to the doorway where Zayn stood with his arms crossed, eyebrows raised comically high. Perrie stood wide-eyed with her mouth covered just behind his shoulder, and just behind her was a short, pretty brunette that Liam could only guess was her cousin. His eyes lingered on hers for a moment, staring into the deep blue depths that shined back out at him. 

"Fucking perfect." He groaned, leaning back to drag a hand down his face.

"Liam, I'm so sorry." Perrie rushed, placing a hand on Zayn's arm. "We were just walking out here and we heard you talking and we didn't want to interrupt but we didn't mean to eavesdrop, I swear." 

"Pez, it's okay." Liam breathed, "It's fine. I mean, you all would be finding out eventually anyways. I just don't want it spread around." He looked pointedly to her cousin, and Perrie put an arm around the girl's waist.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Anna. She's the absolute best at keeping secrets, I always went to her when I got into trouble." The girl blushed, giving a small wave. "Uh, yeah, hi. I'm Anna. Nice to meet you guys." Louis and Niall snorted and Harry waved back, but then Zayn was speaking again, slow voice drawing the attention in the room to him.

"Li, you have a fucking kid? How the hell could you not know about something like that?"

"I swear I didn't know." He explained for the fourth time that night. Jesus, how long had it been? It felt like ages. "It was some girl I had a thing with for a few weeks before I tried out for the X Factor again. She left the day after I told her I was trying out, and I haven't heard from her since. And now, it seems she's passed away and I have a three year old son."

"Liam, I'm so sorry." Perrie and Anna said at the same time, and Harry's eyes seemed to scream enough apologies for the entire bus. He shrugged, "Yeah, well, I've got a kid now. And I have about four weeks to decide if I want to keep him or not."

"You'd give him away?" Niall asked, eyebrows lifting in surprise.

"Just imagine what the media would say." Liam started, "And God knows I'm not that capable of raising a kid right now. Who would want to be raised in the spotlight like that anyways? Especially a kid who was born to two unmarried teenagers."

Everyone was silent, and Louis muttered a quiet, "I guess I can see where you're coming from..." He looked to Harry, who nodded and continued, "But Liam, he's related to you. By blood. And you'd have all of us to help you."

Liam nodded, keeping his gaze locked on the ground. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Either way, I've got maybe four weeks to decide. We'll see how things go, I suppose. I don't know what I'm going to do." They felt the bus slow beneath them, shuddering to a stop, and with a glance out the window, Liam confirmed they had arrived at the hotel. He gave another silent shrug to everyone in the bus, and that ended the conversation. They grabbed their overnight bags, all sifting silently through the crowd that had gathered outside of their hotel with neutral looks on their faces. As they got off of the elevator on their floor, Liam found himself staring at Anna, who gave him a weird look when she caught him.

"I--uh, sorry." He told her quickly, pulling his bag over his shoulder as everyone cleared out of the hallway around them. "You just look a lot like someone I know from back home."

"Well, I think I'd remember a pretty face like yours." She smirked, holding her own bag even closer to her chest. Liam smiled, and she spoke again.

"Look, I'm really sorry I intruded on your private talk with the boys. I swear I won't tell anyone, or anything like that." She shrugged, "And, I'm staying with Zayn and Perrie for a couple weeks. I, uh, I babysit a lot, always have. So if you need someone to help with the little boy or even watch him for you, don't be afraid to call, alright?"

Liam watched her for a minute, floored by this almost-stranger's kindness. With a bright smile, he nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but I'm absolutely helpless around them. That's why Harry and Louis take care of Lux more than I do. So any help is much appreciated."

"Consider me your on-call nanny then." She gave a mock salute, then began walking backwards as Liam laughed. "It was nice meeting you Liam. Sorry it wasn't under more normal circumstances. Sleep well." She turned and walked away, and Liam smiled after her, only turning to find his own room once she had disappeared into hers. He shrugged his clothes off, brushing his teeth before flopping into bed, mind spinning with panic. How was he supposed to take care of a kid? He was barely more than a kid himself.

He soon drifted off into a restless sleep, haunted by the memories of bright blue eyes and the whisper of, "You'll be a star someday, Liam. I just know it."

 

 

*****

 

 

Liam stared at the building ahead, eyes wide as the weight of what exactly was about to happen hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I can't do this." He squeaked, and Paul set a hand reassuringly on his shoulder. 

"You'll be fine, Liam. Don't worry. You got Louis and Lou waiting back at the house to help you."

Liam nodded. That did calm him down a bit. Louis was the best with kids, having four younger sisters and more on the way, so it only made sense to have him there. And Lou had a three year old of her own. She'd be extremely helpful until his own mother arrived. The car pulled up, and with one more firm nod in Paul's direction, Liam got out, the man following quickly behind. There were no paparazzi, no screaming girls. It actually kind of unsettled Liam, gave him more time to focus on what he was walking into. Another body guard was just behind him, but Paul waved him off. No one was outside the building on this chilly morning, and he sincerely doubted anyone would expect him to be here. Hell, he never even imagined himself coming here in his life.

"Mr. Payne!" A tall, tailored woman walked briskly towards him with a welcoming smile. "I'm Jenna, we spoke on the phone." Liam nodded and shook hands with her, and she guided him back along the hallways. "I can imagine you want this to go ask quickly as possible so no one is alerted to your presence here. Don't worry, our staff are sworn to the upmost secrecy of our clients." They walked past a large room with a window where Liam could clearly see a few children up and playing in the day room. The thought that none of these kids had parents made his stomach clench into a tight knot, and he looked away, focusing instead on Jenna's bobbing ponytail.

He was led into a small office where he sat in a chair, Paul remaining standing behind him as Jenna went around, pulling out a folder once she had sat. "Now, we do need you to sign some things that Mr. Cowell couldn't do himself over the phone." Of course Simon had already taken care of all of this. "We need to you sign and acknowledge your guardianship..." 

Liam tuned her out as she began droning on about the legal matters. He signed when told to do so, and found himself staring helplessly at the child's birth certificate. Taylor Liam Payne was born on April 12, 2011 to Carly Bayer and Liam Payne, father not present at the birth. His mind whirled. This was happening. Taylor was real. he had a son.

"Ah, there's our big boy!" Jenna called brightly, and Liam turned to see a woman coming into the room with a small boy walking just beside her, his hand in hers. Liam's mouth almost dropped open as he saw him. The young boy had fair skin, but Liam could see it was like his own. He even had a small birthmark just beside his right ear. And while they had the same sandy brown hair, the deep blue eyes, wide with fear in the middle of his young face, were exactly like Carly's, framed with a dark rim of lashes.

"Come here, Taylor." Jenna cooed warmly. "This is your daddy!"

Taylor looked at Liam for a minute, only stepping forward when the woman nudged him. He had a backpack on, hand clenching tightly to an old stuffed animal that vaguely resembled Stitch, from the old Disney movie. Liam looked around him, then cleared his throat when he saw the look Jenna was giving him. "Um, hey Taylor. It's nice to meet you." The boy immediately blushed, looking down to his tennis shoes that he had on. Liam was worried. Did Taylor not like him? Oh God, was he worrying about a three year old's opinion of him?

Jenna quickly urged the meeting along, getting Liam to sign three more times and then leading them out of the room where there was another small suitcase that Paul immediately picked up. They walked back to the entrance, Jenna discussing the adoption paperwork that Liam now held in his hand. She bid them a cheery goodbye, telling them to call if they needed anything at all. Paul looked first, then deemed the coast clear and beckoned Liam to come along. He took a few steps when he felt a small hand wrap around his two front fingers, and he almost blushed when he saw Taylor walking along beside him, face set in a determined grin as he focused on keeping up with Liam's large steps. When they got in the car, Taylor buckled himself in the middle by himself, and Liam wondered if he needed to buy a carseat for him. Lou would know the answer to that.

"So, Taylor, how old are you?" Liam asked, unsure of how to start a conversation with a small child. Taylor looked to Paul with wide eyes, then back to Liam, holding up two fingers. 

"Two, okay. And your birthday is on the 12, right?" The little boy nodded, and Liam sighed. That was ten days away. "You're pretty big for a two year old. You must have been eating your vegetables." Paul snorted, but quickly covered his mouth with his hand when Liam shot him a glare. Taylor nodded, looking at Stitch and missing the silent conversation going on above his head. "I really like carrots. 'Specially cooked."

Cooked carrots, Liam would have to remember that. "What other kinds of food do you like?"

Taylor looked up at him, seemingly weighing his answer. "Cookies. And cake." He smiled then, and Liam couldn't help but smile back. 

"Come on, you can't eat cookies all the time! What about cereal? And fruit?"

With a pout, Taylor nodded, kicking his tiny feet. "I like apples and grapes, I guess." Liam smiled again, looking back out the window. The rest of the car ride was him asking more questions, and Paul smirking at him from behind his hand. Taylor liked Disney movies (thank God, Liam owned nearly every one) but Stitch was his favorite. His favorite color was green, his favorite superhero was spiderman (Liam would have to work on that one), and he hated baths. When they arrived at his house, Paul said goodbye, letting Liam know he'd keep his phone on if he needed anything at all.

"Dad, why is your house so big?" Taylor asked, small head turning up to look skyward at the high rise building as his hand reached for Liam's fingers again. 

Liam smiled, gripping the boy's hand tightly. "The whole building isn't my house. I just live at the top of it." Taylor nodded, skipping a bit as he walked alongside Liam. Thank God the paparazzi weren't allowed past the gates. Taylor thoroughly enjoyed the glass elevator, nose smashed up against the glass as he watched the city grow smaller beneath him. Digging his key out of his pocket, Liam let himself into his apartment, shutting the door behind him and Taylor. he heard voices echoing from his kitchen, and immediately groaned. Louis so would.

"I thought it was only going to be you and Lou?" Liam quipped as he walked in after taking Taylor's shoes off. He gave Louis a pointed look, who simply shrugged in response.

"They all wanted to meet Taylor!"

"Dad, who's that?"

Liam smiled fondly, heart warming at how Taylor had taken to calling him Dad so quickly. "Here, give me your backpack." He took it off of Taylor, then picked him up, taking him over to meet everyone. "These are your uncles and aunts. That's Uncle Louis and Uncle Harry, and that's Aunt Perrie and Uncle Zayn. That's uh--" Liam stuttered, surprised to see her here. "That's Aunt Anna, and Uncle Niall, and Aunt Lou." Seeing the boy's wide eyed expression, he added quickly, "It's okay if you don't remember everyone's name right now. You'll learn them eventually."

Taylor nodded, waving to them, then turned and patted Liam's shoulder. "Dad, I'm hungry." Harry almost squealed, setting his face on Louis' shoulder. Liam set him down, grabbing a bowl and spoon and asking, "You like cereal, yeah?" Taylor nodded, and he pulled a box of Lucky Charms from his cupboard.

Lou gasped, "Do you realize how much sugar is in that?"

Liam shot her a tired look, "Lou, we'll discuss food and shopping later." He pulled the milk out, then once the cereal was prepared, set Taylor up in the living room so he could watch cartoons while Liam went back to the kitchen to talk to everyone.

"Li, he's _adorable."_ Harry breathed, eyes watching the back of Taylor's head as he sat in the middle of the carpet only thirty feet away.

"He really looks like you, too." Louis added with a snort. "Guess the DNA test wasn't a fake."

Liam nodded, leaning with his elbows onto the bar. "Yeah, guess so." He looked around to everyone, "Guys, I'm a father. He turns three in ten days."

"We get to have a birthday party?" Harry asked, face lighting up. Louis scoffed at him, and Niall asked, "Have you decided whether to keep him or not yet?"

"Niall, I've hardly known him for two hours. How could I possibly know?"

"Well, Zayn and I were thinking," Perrie started, looking to Zayn before continuing, "That maybe if you didn't think you could take care of him, that we could, you know? We are engaged, and maybe we could play off us adopting him as a public statement, saying people should adopt more or something."

Lou nodded, adding on, "Not only that, but then you'd still be able to see him whenever you wanted." Liam bit his lip, looking over as Taylor's tiny giggle echoed back to them. 

"Like I said, I don't know guys. My mum's coming over later, so I'll probably know more then. But I also have a few weeks, you know. See if he fits in around here and all that." Everyone nodded, and Harry continued smiling. 

"He's literally so cute."

"Oh God, H, shut up." Niall groaned, then looked at Liam. "You would not believe how much this kid won't shut up about your kid. And he hadn't even met him yet."

Louis raised an eyebrow, "You haven't heard the half of it. I live with him, I have to hear him talk about babies every damn _day."_

"Hey, don't say that!" Liam hissed quietly, glancing over his shoulder to Taylor. "I don't want you corrupting him just yet."

"Just wait until I get to babysit him." Louis grinned, and Perrie frowned, "Hey! I thought we called dibs on watching him?"

Liam smiled, "Sorry, but Anna actually got to me first."

Perrie spun around, looking betrayed. "Anna? But how? You just met her last night!"

Anna shrugged, smirking. "What can I say? I move fast." Perrie groaned, making everyone laugh, and Taylor came tottering back into the room, empty bowl in hand.

"I'm done!" He called, holding it up to Liam. "Look, even drank the milk!"

"Atta boy." Liam told him, taking the bowl and setting it by the sink. "Wanna go see your room now?" Taylor cheered, and grabbed Liam's hand, walking towards the stairs. Liam looked back, calling out, "You all can head off now, if you want. I think we'll just be hanging out all day, and I don't want a crowd when my mum comes to yell at me." The small crowd in the kitchen laughed, calling out a chorus of goodbyes as they left. Liam led Taylor to the guest bedroom, thanking God silently that this bed was lower down so Taylor was actually able to climb into it himself. 

With his eyes wide, he asked, "That big bed is for me?"

"All yours." Liam smiled, letting go of Taylor's hand as he ran forward, jumping onto the bed with a giggle. Liam watched him bounce for a moment, then turned and set his suitcase next to the drawers, beginning to unpack. Really, he only had a few shirts, a couple pairs of pants, his pajamas, and a toothbrush. In the backpack was a coloring book and crayons, a blanket, and a Spiderman pillowcase. He really needed to go shopping, and soon. He'd have to have Lou come back over as soon as possible.

Wait a minute. Was he really planning long term for this kid? Was he really going to keep him? He turned to watch Taylor rolling around on the bed, suddenly much more hyper than he had been around everyone else. The laughter made him smile, and he shook his head and turned back to the coloring book.

"Liam?" 

He looked up to see Anna walking by, doubling back once she saw him in the bedroom. "Hey, Anna."

"Hey!" She blushed, stepping into the room. Taylor froze on the bed, watching her with wide eyes. Anna waved at him, then turned to look back to Liam, keeping a hand behind her back.

"So, uh, I kinda assumed you wouldn't have much for the kid, considering you weren't really expecting him." She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, then held the DVD case out to him. "This was my favorite movie for a while, and I figured Taylor would like it, too. So, consider this your baby shower gift." Liam stood and took the DVD, smiling when he saw it.

"Taylor, look!" He waved it in the air. "Anna bought you a present!" He immediately hopped off the bed, grabbing it warily. Liam watched his eyes widen, then a giant smile broke across his face and he rushed forward to wrap around Anna's legs in a hug. 

"It's Stitch! Stitch is my favorite!" He squeezed even tighter, making Anna laugh. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Anna grinned, rubbing Taylor's back. "It's my favorite, too. Now, you gotta promise me you'll watch it a lot, okay?" Taylor nodded eagerly, looking up to Liam with puppy-dog eyes. Okay, he had definitely got that from his dad. "Can we watch it now?"

Liam smiled, "Yeah, we can. Go get settled on the couch, I'll come put it on in a minute." Taylor grinned again, running out of the room. "Careful on the stairs!" Liam called after him, then turned back to Anna. "Lou was right. A ton of sugar was not good for that little body."

Anna smiled even wider, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, probably not. Definitely go shopping later. You said your mom's coming, right?" Liam nodded, leading them out of the bedroom. "Why don't you go shopping with her? She's raised a few kids, she should know what's good for 'em."

"That's not half bad of an idea." Liam mused, walking down the steps. "God, I can only imagine what she's going to say. She'll probably cry, she's a crier."

"Well, wouldn't you?" Anna smirked, going over to grab her purse. "Suddenly you're a grandma, it's kind of a big deal."

Liam smiled, "Yeah, it is." Then he looked up, brow furrowing. "Wait, do you have a long drive?"

"Uh, maybe a half an hour, why?"

"Well, my mom should be here soon." He told her, glancing at the clock. "I'll probably need you to babysit while I go shopping with her, right? I don't want you to have to drive all the way back." Anna watched him for a moment, then set her purse back down on the table.

"Yeah, alright. Deal." She smirked, walking past him, "I'm using your tea though. Want any?" Liam smiled, giving her a nod as she began rummaging through his kitchen. "Taylor! Dad has apple juice, you want some?" Taylor called back a yes, and Liam made a mental note that his son really seemed to get excited about apple juice.

His son. Taylor, his son. That was going to take some getting used to.

 

*****

 

About an hour into the movie, there was a quick knock on the door, one that he recognized immediately as his mom's. He got up from the couch, leaving a laughing Anna and Taylor to go open the door.

"Liam, you have so much explaining to do." His mother told him as soon as he opened the door. He sighed, stepping aside so she could come in. Behind him, he heard a quiet, "Aunt Anna, who's that?" And Anna whispered back, "That's your grandma."

"Taylor, come meet your grandma." Liam called, watching as Anna paused the movie and a timid Taylor came around the couch. He paused, reaching behind him to grab Anna's hand before continuing forward.

"Oh God, he's precious." She squatted down, setting the bags she had on the ground beside her. "Hi, sweetheart!"

Taylor blushed, scooting closer to Anna's leg while Karen cooed, "Aw, he's just as shy as you were. And he's got your hair!" She stuck out her hand, offering it to Taylor. "You can call me Grandma or Grammy, whichever you prefer. It's nice to meet you, Taylor."

Taylor, seeing as he was being treated like a big boy, stuck his hand out, shaking it quickly before looking up at Liam and saying, "I like Grammy." Liam smiled, then Taylor looked back up to Anna, "Can we go finish the movie?"

Anna glanced at Liam, then nodded. "Yeah, your dad's gotta talk to his mom. We'll leave them to it." She was led away by a bouncing Taylor, and Karen stood again, giving Liam a look.

"Is he always hyper or did you give him something sugary already?" 

Liam sighed and looked at the ground, and Karen patted his shoulder fondly. "We'll get to that later. First, I want to hear the full story." So, Liam brewed his mom a cup of tea, sat her down at the dining table, and told her everything, about how he had met Carly all the way up until the meeting this morning. And he was right, she was crying by the end of it. Thankfully, she didn't seem as angry anymore, and was only worried about Taylor.

"We need to go get him some good food. Can't have him eating anymore of those Lucky Charms, his teeth'll fall out. And some clothes. I brought some of your old stuff," She looked over to the bags she had, "And a few of your toys. But we definitely need to go shopping."

"Anna said she'd watch him while we went, since we probably need to go sooner rather than later." He told her as they stood, and she cocked an eyebrow. He smiled, "Anna is Perrie's cousin. Super sweet girl, really great." He looked over to the couch with a small smile, "She's the one who brought him the movie. Apparently it's his favorite." No response came, and he turned to find his mom looking at him with a knowing smile. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Karen smirked, going to get her keys. "Let's go shopping, yeah?"

"Yeah, alright." Liam turned back to the couch, "Hey, Anna, we're heading to the store. You want me to grab you anything?"

"You need more tea! You only had three bags left when I made some. And you're almost out of milk." 

"And cookies!" Taylor piped up, which earned him a tickling from Anna. Liam smiled and turned back to his mom, shrugging on his coat. Karen watched him with a disdainful look. "Does Anna have your number so she can reach you if something happens?"

"Nope! He never gave me it!" Anna called playfully over her shoulder, and Liam sighed. It seemed as if Anna and his own mother were already teaming up against him. He walked over to Anna, giving the digits to her while she put it in her phone. She texted him her name, and then he and his mom were off.

She took charge of the operation, clearly knowing what three year old boys would and wouldn't eat, what they'd like, what was good for them, the whole shebang. Liam did nothing but try and keep up with her and push the cart, offering what little knowledge he had learned from Taylor so far. 

About an hour later, he received a call from Anna and he answered hurriedly, afraid something had happened. "Hey, Anna. What's up?"

"Nothing! Just hanging out. But hey," Liam could swear he heard Taylor singing loudly in the background, "You might want to get some more crayons and coloring books or notepads or something. He really likes coloring. He's already given me three drawings, has one for Uncle Lou, Uncle Henry," Liam laughed, "And is working on your second one. This kid's good, too."

"Yeah, I definitely will." Liam smiled, looking at his mom, who was looking at the ingredients in different cereals. "Everything else going well?"

"It's great! He's a great kid, honestly. So polite, always says thank you." She laughed, "If you aren't careful, I just might adopt him."

Liam smirked, looking to the ground. "Glad things are going well. We should be home in a half an hour, that okay? Do you have to be anywhere?"

"Nope!" She answered, then heard her say distantly, "Whoa, whoa, T-man, careful with the sharpie. Where did you get that?" Liam laughed as he listened to them, and then she was back. "But yeah, no, I don't have anywhere to be. Like I said, I'm staying with Perrie and Zayn for a while, so it's kinda a vacation for me."

"Never thought you'd spend it babysitting, did you?"

She laughed again, and Liam's cheeks flushed at the sound. He should not be this fond about her this soon. "Never in my wildest dreams! But it's cool, I'm having fun. Oh, T, that's sick! Is that Spiderman?" He heard Taylor's excited shout, then began walking after his mom again. 

"So, half an hour. See ya then?" Anna asked, and Liam smiled. 

"Half an hour. See ya then."

"Alright, later Liam!"

"Later!" Liam called back, then hung up, only to see his mom giving him that same look. "Mum, why do you keep staring at me like that?"

Karen shrugged, placing the cheerios and a bunch of bananas in the cart. "You seem awfully fond of that Anna girl."

Liam sighed, trying to appear nonchalant. "She's just nice, you know. I like nice people." Karen only laughed at him, moving forward down the aisle. Liam groaned, then told her, "Oh, hey. Anna said we should get more crayons and coloring books. Apparently he really likes drawing. She said maybe a notepad as well."

"Oh, did she now?"

" _Mum_ , shut up."

 

*****

 

 

When they returned, it was nearly five in the afternoon, and Karen offered to make dinner for them, asking Anna to stay as well. She accepted, helping Taylor show off his drawings to Liam while they all put the groceries away. Karen made spaghetti, which was apparently Taylor's favorite meal, and at seven, Taylor was in the living room watching Lilo and Stitch again while they all sat around the table, drinking tea and talking. Anna talked a bit about where she lived, and Karen gave Liam plenty more guidelines for how to take care of a three year old. Anna and Liam hugged her goodbye, then went in the living room only to discover that Taylor was already asleep. Anna smiled, telling Liam she would go ahead and leave, and to call if he needed something.

Ten minutes later, he had a crying Taylor sitting on the toilet lid, and he was calling Anna.

"Did you screw up already, Dad?" Came her teasing tone across the line as she answered, and Liam groaned.

"I don't know what I did!" He told her, exasperated. "He woke up right after you left, and when I asked him to brush his teeth, he just started crying and he won't tell me what's wrong!"

Anna only laughed, replying, "I'll be there in five. I had a feeling something would happen." Then she hung up, and Liam sat outside of the bathroom with his head on his knees until she came up the stairs with a smug grin on her face. Waving at him, she stepped into the bathroom, her voice growing soft as she said, "T-man, hey, what's going on?"

Liam heard a few more sniffles and whimpers, then, "I didn't know if you'd come back. I don't like when people leave." 

Liam's heart sunk to the floor. Oh God, he knows his mom isn't coming back. He thumped his head back against the wall, listening as Anna soothed him and convinced him to brush his teeth, even doing it with him with her finger. Liam closed his eyes, stomach tied in knots. He was not cut out for this, he was so not ready to take care of a kid, there was no way he could do this--

"Dad...?" Taylor said quietly, head peeking around the doorway. Liam sat up quickly, putting a smile on his face. "What's up bud?"

Taylor looked back into the bathroom, and he saw Anna nudge him out of the door. With a dramatic sigh, Taylor said, "I'm sorry I cried. I'm just..." He looked back to Anna, who whispered, "Tired and cranky." He nodded, then looked to Liam, "Tired and cronky." Anna giggled quietly, and Taylor looked down to his feet, cheeks a dark red.

Liam couldn't help but smile. "You know what, Taylor? I accept your apology. But, only if we get to give Grammy that cool Spiderman drawing you did." Taylor's face brightened and he nodded quickly, and Liam stood, taking his hand and leading Taylor to his bedroom. He tucked him in quietly, even kissing Stitch goodnight when Taylor asked, and stood, finding Anna watching him from the doorway with a smile on her face. He stuck his tongue out at her, and before he could close Taylor's bedroom door, Taylor called out, "Dad, wait!", sitting up and holding onto Stitch tightly.

"What is it?"

Taylor kicked his feet under the covers, "Is Anna making breakfast in the morning?"

Liam's eyes widened, almost panicking again. Would Taylor flip out again if Anna left? Liam wasn't all that good at making breakfast either. Honestly, they'd probably end up having cereal every day.

"Yes, I'll make pancakes." Anna answered for him, smiling. "Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Taylor called, then snuggled back down under the blankets. "Night Dad, night Anna!" They both waved to him, and then Liam closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief. So the first night hadn't been too horrible.

"Sorry I just kind of invited myself over to make breakfast tomorrow morning?" Anna said, rubbing the back of her neck again. Liam smirked, walking back towards the stairs.

"You know what, Anna? I'll accept your apology, but only if you spend the night as well as make breakfast."

"I, what?" Anna froze at the bottom of the stairs, watching as he cleaned up Taylor's coloring stuff from the table.

"That's a ton of driving, especially that early in the morning." He told her. "You can sleep in my bed, I'll take the couch. God only knows how upset Taylor will be if you aren't here tomorrow."

Anna paused again, then a small smile creeped across her face. "Yeah, alright. Sounds good. Hope you guys bought stuff for pancakes." She stepped over to him, helping to gather all the stray crayons. They cleaned in silence for a bit, then Liam showed her upstairs to his room, pulling out old sweatpants and a t-shirt for her to sleep in. Just before he could head back downstairs, she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"You know, you seem like you were really on edge all day. Like you were really careful around Taylor." She said, watching him carefully. "But you know what I think? You're going to make a great dad. I honestly don't think you have anything to worry about. You'll do just fine."

Liam blushed and looked down to his feet, the butterflies slowly settling in his stomach. "Couldn't have done it without my nanny, though." He smiled up at her, then backed out of the room. "Night, Anna. I'll see you in the morning." She gave him a short wave, and he went downstairs, quickly setting up a makeshift bed on the couch. He collapsed down onto it, letting out a deep breath that seemed to lift some of the impossibly heavy weight off of his shoulders that had been there the past two days.

And for the first time in two days, he felt at peace with the situation at hand, smiling as he drifted off. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading this trainwreck with barely any plot line
> 
> i love you all
> 
> find me on tumblr at southwestvirginia


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